Stewardship Testimony - Michele Dragisity

by Michele Dragisity

Good morning! My name is Michele Dragisity. My husband George and I have attended St. David’s by the Sea (I love that name) for about a year. We moved here from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan sixteen months ago. Life-long Roman Catholics we started attending an Episcopal Church in early 2019. I heard that Episcopalians like to decide by committee. They talk things out. They take in feedback. Episcopalians include the congregation. I have found that to be true. When we decided to move to Florida I was very sad to leave my new-found Episcopal church.

At St. David’s I have witnessed generosity. Soon after we began coming to church on Sundays, not only Fr. Porter, but others said hello to us by name. Deacon Carla loaned a C.S. Lewis book to me after we had a short conversation in the breezeway. To be known by name feels very reassuring.

How lucky am I to now be part of an established church that is exploring more adventures, to be part of knitting together a community? Bible study, Alpha, luncheons, Daughters of the King, movie nights in the summer are all groups I have attended. Each has its own purpose and flavor. The hook for me is meeting people who are interested in their Christian life. You proclaim it by your attention. I get to hear your stories and learn how your faith strengthens you. You pass it on to me and then I get to pass it on to others. We get strong that way. We have fun together. For me that is what living a Christian life is. 

So now to the duty of stewardship. I use the word duty deliberately. In duty for so many parts of our lives, we find freedom. Duty scaffolds our daily life, our weeks. We happily support our favorite organizations. We proudly give to groups that we belong to. We are the beneficiaries of St. David’s legacy from previous pastors and parishioners. Their hard work left a space and place for us to enrich our lives with the teachings of Jesus. It’s my turn now to give in a way that reflects how grateful I am for this particular church at this particular time. I hope you feel the same way.

Thank you for letting me talk this morning.