COLONIAL HILLS BAPTIST CHURCH
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  • Visit Us
  • About us
    • Our Beliefs
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    • Contact Us
  • MINISTRIES
    • Israel Tour
    • Children Ministries
    • Teen Ministries
    • Singles Ministry >
      • Single Focus
      • Cross Impact IUPUI
    • Adult Ministries >
      • Small Groups
      • Ladies' Ministries
      • Men's Ministries
      • Senior Saints Ministry
      • Athletic Ministry >
        • Colonial Coed Softball League
        • Cornhole League
    • Christian School
    • Missions Ministries >
      • Missions Month
      • Local
      • Abroad
    • Music Ministries >
      • Church Music
      • IAFA
    • Indianapolis Bible Institute
    • Next Door Nations
    • Other Ministries >
      • Seminary On Site
      • LIFT Ministries
      • Hope In Crisis
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    • Colonial Registrations
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Overview & Response

On Saturday, July 27, 2013 at around 4:30 p.m., the Lord allowed a bus accident to take Pastor Chad and Courtney Phelps and their unborn baby and Mrs. Tonya Weindorf home to enjoy Him in His presence forever (Psalm 16:11; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Hebrews 11:13-16). Dozens of our children and teens were returning from a week of camp when the accident occurred with the teen bus. The Lord spared the lives of all 33 teenagers and 2 children on board and the bus driver, although many are still recovering from significant injuries. God's mercies in this tragedy are too many to recite (Psalm 103), and we magnify His sovereign goodness even in the moment of sorrow (Psalm 119:68; Romans 8:28-30). We believe the Biblical message of good news that God willingly and lovingly sacrificed His own Son, Jesus Christ, upon the cross in order that we might be rescued from the penalty of our sins; and because that same Jesus rose from the dead, we have an assured hope of eternity beyond the grave through His resurrection and life (John 10:21-27). Furthermore, we have heard of God drawing people to Himself in saving faith through this situation, and we are amazed by a God who brings beauty out of ashes (Isaiah 61:1-3). For these reasons and many more, we rejoice, even as we sorrow!

Countless numbers of believers, churches, businesses, and community organizations have sent flowers, expressed prayer, posted strengthening words, and been a ministry of God's grace to our church family at this time. We cannot overstate the encouragement you have been to our church family, and we want to humbly thank you all for your loving and generous kindness, especially to those families directly affected by this accident.

God's grace is being found to be sufficient for our every need (2 Corinthians 12:9-10), and we are grateful for the rich and everlasting hope we have in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:51-58) — since "absent from the body is to be present with the Lord," (2 Corinthians 5:8) we "sorrow not as those who have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), for an everlasting reunion is promised with friends and family who have gone before, and in our midst will be our accomplished and victorious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Revelation 21:1-5, 22-23).

Click on the document below to view the notes from our services (Sunday, July 28; Wednesday, July 31; and Sunday, August 4). Or, click on the links at right to listen to the sermons from the week.
Services Orders
File Size: 182 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Click here to watch the press conference.
Click here to read some "Notes" from our Pastor.

Sun, 7/28 ABF — Pastor Lewis: Purposeful Difficulty & Precious Death
Sun, 7/28 AM — Pastor Phelps: Why Art Thou Cast Down? Hope in God
Sun, 7/28 AM — Pastor Taylor: The Lord is My Shepherd
Sun, 7/28 PM — Pastor Taylor: God's Grace During Dark Times
Sun, 7/28 PM — Pastor Heller: Encouragement of the Believer
Wed, 7/31 PM — Pastor Phelps: Whether by Life or by Death
Wed, 7/31 PM — Caleb Phelps: God is Good! Jesus is Enough!
Wed, 7/31 PM — Joe Fant: A "Trage-tunity"
Wed, 7/31 PM — Governor Pence: The Lord is Close to the Brokenhearted
Sun, 8/4 ABF — Dr. Barber: Theology of Illness and Suffering
Sun, 8/4 AM — Pastor Phelps: Committed to Compassion
Sun, 8/18 AM — Pastor Phelps: The Benefits of Burning
Sun, 8/18 PM — Testimonies: Tracing the Footprints of God

"Footprints of God" Testimony Service • August 18, 2013 

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On Sunday evening, August 18, our church family enjoyed a special service in which we shared how we have seen God's footprints during our time of tragedy. You can listen to this service by clicking here — Tracing the Footprints of God.

Community Appreciation Sunday • September 15, 2013

We want to thank the many local churches, business, and community organizations that actively supported and served our church throughout this time.

To do so more publicly, CHBC hosted a Community Appreciation Service on September 15, 2013, inviting and honoring first responders, medical providers, prayer warriors, and all those who helped in this time of crisis. The service featured Youth E.D.G.E. teens in song, special gifts for all who gave so much to us, testimonies from survivors, and a special message from God’s Word.

Memorial Gardens Commemorative Service • May 14, 2014

The lawn areas between the A- and B-Wings and between B-Wing and the Heller Building have been landscaped into beautiful gardens.  Not only do these renovated areas provide a more attractive entrance to our facility, but they have also been dedicated as Memorial Gardens as we seek to honor the memory of those whom the Lord took home to be with Himself on July 27, 2013.  The centerpiece of each garden is a sturdy Dogwood tree—one planted in loving memory of Tonya Weindorf and the other planted to remember Chad, Courtney, and Baby Girl Phelps.

Remembrance Sunday • July 27, 2014

Our church family enjoyed a special Remembrance Service on Sunday, July 27, 2014. We continued to ask God to minister healing and to "Fan the Flame" of this "trage-tunity."
This video was shown during the Remembrance Service. It highlights the hope, healing, and opportunity that have come as a result of the bus accident.

Resources

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On October 12, 2012, Pastor Chad preached a sermon on the Purpose of Suffering to the teens at Colonial Hills Baptist Church. Since then, that sermon has been produced in a beautiful 4"x6.5" booklet, and through this message "he being dead still speaks" (Hebrews 11:4). You can read the booklet below, but we ask that you please not reproduce it. To purchase additional copies, contact our church office ([email protected]; 317-253-5597).
Sermon Booklet
File Size: 158 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Hymns
Two hymns were impacted by the events of our "trage-tunity". Shortly after July 27, Chris Anderson dedicated his text, "I Am With You", to our church. More recently, Chad's brother, Caleb, collaborated with Chris to take a text that Chad had written and set it to music. The result was "My Lord was Emptied", a meditation on Philippians 2:5-11.

Memorials

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Tonya Weindorf
Visitation — Thursday, August 1 from 3:00-7:00 p.m.
Funeral — Friday, August 2 at 10:30 a.m.

For obituaries, memorial details, and donations information,
please click here.
View the Funeral Program:
Weindorf Funeral Program
File Size: 290 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Watch the Funeral

If you have a special story, memory, or picture of Tonya to share for encouragement to the Weindorf family, you can email that to [email protected].
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Chad & Courtney Phelps
Visitation — Friday, August 2 from 3:00-7:00 p.m.
Funeral — Saturday, August 3 at 11:00 a.m.

For obituaries, memorial details, and donations information,
please click here (Chad) and here (Courtney).
View the Funeral Program:
Phelps Funeral Program
File Size: 274 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Watch the Funeral

In striving to provide Chad and Courtney's little son, Chase, with a legacy journal, the Phelps and Gaddy families have created www.forevermissed.com/chadcourtney. If you have a special story, memory, video, or picture to share, please do so via the link above.

Furthermore, Chad's brothers, Caleb and Daniel, are seeking to preserve Chad's legacy of faithful Bible preaching and teaching at www.fanningflames.org.
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"A Church Home for All People"
8140 Union Chapel Rd 
Indianapolis, IN 46240
317.253.5597
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