Memorials
Tonya Weindorf
Visitation — Thursday, August 1 from 3:00-7:00 p.m. Funeral — Friday, August 2 at 10:30 a.m. View the Funeral Program: 
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, & Baby Girl Phelps
Visitation — Friday, August 2 from 3:00-7:00 p.m. Funeral — Saturday, August 3 at 11:00 a.m. View the Funeral Program:
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.
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A Note from the Phelps, Written 7/30/13
The past 2 days have been so busy Linda and I have not been able to answer all of the calls, emails, text-messages and postings that have been sent our way. We do, however, want you to know that we thank every single one that has reached out. Most importantly, we thank God for your prayers. They are sustaining us in ways inexplicable and undeniable.
I've long had the joy of awakening with Scripture on my mind. When we hide God's word in our hearts He has a marvelous way of mining out the gems that enrich us for our journey. This morning my first thought was, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept" (I Corinthians 15:19-20). How wonderful our hope in the Lord!
Along with the word of God, we are strengthened through songs and hymns and spiritual songs. As I entered the kitchen our eldest daughter, Rachel said, "Dad, I've been thinking about the song, 'Give me Jesus.'" Then she quoted the last verse: "And when I come to die—give me Jesus."
I wish you could all be here to see how the Lord is carrying us. There is no other way to explain what we are experiencing. Courtney's dear parents, Russell and Sarah Gaddy have partnered with us to preserve Chad and Courtney's legacy. In every little detail of planning we are rejoicing that we as one family can walk together because we are agreed (Amos 3:3). Chad could not have found a more wonderful wife than Courtney and we could not have a more wonderful family to share this grief with than hers.
There are those who will say, "They were so young; they had such potential." It's true. But Chad and Courtney lived the truth of Philippians 1:20 - "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death." We are already discovering that God is being magnified in amazing ways through their deaths and so we are comforted that the prayers of our sweet children are being answered in ways that we could have never known and would never have chosen—but now would never change.
Psalm 77:19-20 says, "Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters, and Thy footsteps are not known." So often the work of God is invisible to us. Over the past 2 days we have been tracing the footprints of God in what the world calls a tragedy. We have discovered that God has been preparing us for this event though we did not see it. Even now we are talking about cataloging the countless ways that God has worked to show us that "His ways are not our ways." Yet, His ways are undeniable.
We are so thankful for Baby Chase. Pray for him. No one on earth will be able to make him laugh like his daddy and no one on earth will be able to make him sparkle like His mommy. But our Heavenly Father is the Father first of the orphan (Psalm 68:5).
Today I can say, "I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all my tribulation" (II Corinthians 7:4). Since we know not what tomorrow will bring, we ask for your prayers and thank you for your love.
Chuck (for Linda, Chad, Courtney and our whole family)
I've long had the joy of awakening with Scripture on my mind. When we hide God's word in our hearts He has a marvelous way of mining out the gems that enrich us for our journey. This morning my first thought was, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept" (I Corinthians 15:19-20). How wonderful our hope in the Lord!
Along with the word of God, we are strengthened through songs and hymns and spiritual songs. As I entered the kitchen our eldest daughter, Rachel said, "Dad, I've been thinking about the song, 'Give me Jesus.'" Then she quoted the last verse: "And when I come to die—give me Jesus."
I wish you could all be here to see how the Lord is carrying us. There is no other way to explain what we are experiencing. Courtney's dear parents, Russell and Sarah Gaddy have partnered with us to preserve Chad and Courtney's legacy. In every little detail of planning we are rejoicing that we as one family can walk together because we are agreed (Amos 3:3). Chad could not have found a more wonderful wife than Courtney and we could not have a more wonderful family to share this grief with than hers.
There are those who will say, "They were so young; they had such potential." It's true. But Chad and Courtney lived the truth of Philippians 1:20 - "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death." We are already discovering that God is being magnified in amazing ways through their deaths and so we are comforted that the prayers of our sweet children are being answered in ways that we could have never known and would never have chosen—but now would never change.
Psalm 77:19-20 says, "Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters, and Thy footsteps are not known." So often the work of God is invisible to us. Over the past 2 days we have been tracing the footprints of God in what the world calls a tragedy. We have discovered that God has been preparing us for this event though we did not see it. Even now we are talking about cataloging the countless ways that God has worked to show us that "His ways are not our ways." Yet, His ways are undeniable.
We are so thankful for Baby Chase. Pray for him. No one on earth will be able to make him laugh like his daddy and no one on earth will be able to make him sparkle like His mommy. But our Heavenly Father is the Father first of the orphan (Psalm 68:5).
Today I can say, "I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all my tribulation" (II Corinthians 7:4). Since we know not what tomorrow will bring, we ask for your prayers and thank you for your love.
Chuck (for Linda, Chad, Courtney and our whole family)
"FootPrints of God" Testimony Service
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On Sunday evening, August 18, the church family at Colonial Hills Baptist Church enjoyed a special service in which they shared how they had seen God's footprints during our time of tragedy. Included in the testimony service were the testimonies of the teens who were on the bus at the time of the accident.
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Community Appreciation Sunday
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After the accident the surrounding community of Indianapolis went out of their way to come to the aid of the grieving families at Colonial Hills Baptist Church. There were so many different businesses, organizations, and individuals that reached out with a loving hand in this great time of need it would be impossible to try and list them all by name. There were countless numbers of times when God used the grace of individuals to help minister his grace to those who were hurting most.
On September 15, 2013 the members of Colonial Hills Baptist Church planned a special Community Appreciation Sunday to thank all those who came to their aid during this tragedy. Here are those we would like to personally thank:
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Memorial Gardens
The lawn areas between the A- and B-Wings and between B-Wing and the Heller Building at Colonial Hills Baptist Church 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 7/27/14
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Colonial Hills Baptist Church 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."
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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.
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