turning two...  Yesterday marked not one sparrow's second birthday!  Since we don't often have the opportunity to see each other "in person," I thought I might put together an informal video retrospective.  It looks back on some of the developments not one sparrow has seen this past year and what might be ahead in the coming months.  It also touches on the kind of community we want to be, and some of the need we continue to face.  I hope you'll watch it!

Click to read more ...

thank you...  Your response to our request for help in the last eletter was one of the most encouraging, energizing and humbling moments I've had working on not one sparrow.  Thank you, many times over, for your sensitivity and response to the need.  It means the world to me, and to keeping not one sparrow afloat.  Recent weeks have been more dry, and we very much need your continued support each month.  But I am so grateful for your compassion and generosity to this point - thank you.

what sound does a sparrow make?...  As one of our Facebook friends mentioned, it's appropriate for not one sparrow to be tweeting.  So, I'm (mostly) glad to pass along that we finally have our own Twitter profile.  And if you're connected to us on Facebook, are you getting not one sparrow's feed?

Click to read more ...

request for help...  Every effort has been made to avoid leading with this request so far, and we're always grateful for your encouragement and word of mouth, but not one sparrow urgently needs your financial support as well.  Keeping in touch with community members, posting new content to the website and blog, networking with other efforts, developing other outreach opportunities and administrative responsibilities all require a substantial amount of time and energy far beyond volunteer hours.

Click to read more ...

changing seasons...  We have a new Fall look at not one sparrow, based on another brilliant banner by my brother Josh DeVries.  Some other tweaks have been added as well, which I hope enhance the experience.  I'm also thrilled to introduce not one sparrow's new logo.  After months in development, and meaningful contributions from several friends, Ali Beem took over the project and came up with this beautiful embodiment of what not one sparrow is all about.  Thank you, Ali. 

Click to read more ...

tell us how you really feel...  I'd love to know how you connect, or don't connect, with not one sparrow's website, blog and social networking.  I put together a brief, 10-question survey and would be honored to have your feedback.  The survey, courtesy of SurveyMonkey, is completely secure, anonymous and you can fill it out to whatever extent you care to: click here to take survey.  Many thanks if you do, and of course, you're always welcome to send me feedback personally if you'd prefer!

Click to read more ...

Hey everyone, it’s been longer than I would have hoped since last sending an update around. I’ve battled a number downturns over the past year-plus since committing to not one sparrow, related to personal factors along with hazards of the trade. But I’m glad to say I’ve been going at things strong again the past couple of weeks, with some positive developments to pass along:

Click to read more ...

If you’ve been checking not one sparrow’s site or blog the past few weeks, I’m sorry for the scarcity of posts and new content.  It’s been a difficult couple of months to be honest, on a personal level and with respect to not one sparrow, and I’m doing my best to regroup.  I’m hoping to have some new material up soon, but I did post a thought-provoking entry by Tracy Simmons on understanding love through her care for two severely behaviorally-challenged dogs, as well as highlight an excellent article on a biblical concern for animals by Leonard Vander Zee of The Banner.

I’m working with a friend and talented artist on some of the visual aspects of the site, including the logo and header.  I’m thinking of taking the opportunity to come up with a different tag line for not one sparrow.  Currently it’s “a Christian voice for animals,” and I don’t mind the “voice for animals” idea, but I’d like to communicate the grounding of faith without sounding quite so formal or institutional if at all possible (I’m trying to be sensitive to my generation’s, and my own, aesthetic in this respect).

Click to read more ...

Updated on August 2, 2008 by Ben DeVries

Two and a half months have passed since not one sparrow launched, or “hatched” if you want to call it that, and I’m a bit overdue for an update. This is the very first not one sparrow newsletter as a matter of fact, and while it’s also being posting on the blog, thank you very much to those who signed up for it by email. I really am grateful for the opportunity to keep you in the loop, and won’t abuse it by flooding your inbox.

I hope to add more content to the newsletter in the not-too-distant future as well as give it a more creative layout, but for now here’s an update on some of what I’ve been working on the past few months:

Click to read more ...