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GREENSBORO — In 45 minutes, a group of college students managed to transform the gym at Lindley Elementary School from a drab eggshell to a sunny yellow.

When principal Merrie Conaway got a look, her face was just as bright.

“It looks like maybe there’s some sunshine in here,” Conaway said.

College members of Campus Crusade for Christ came to town for a winter conference this week and participated in outreach projects on Thursday.

Campus Crusade, an international group on more than 1,000 college campuses in the country, partnered with 10 Triad churches to do the outreach work.

The students working at Lindley partnered with Hope Chapel, a church that formed in October 2008 and meets at the school.

Andrew Clayton, a 21-year-old Clemson University student, said he enjoyed painting the elementary school because he has a heart for youth.

“This is just neat because it’s a physical act of worship,” Clayton said.

The group at Lindley painted the gym and portions of the school’s annex.

Other college students delivered care packages to residents of housing projects.

Conaway said Hope Chapel is a great partner for the school. Its members have painted the cafeteria, planted flowers in the spring, and given treats to teachers and school supplies to children. “Things above and beyond what our PTA can do and our maintenance department,” Conaway said.

The students teamed up in sections of the room to get the job done quickly. The group didn’t know they would be painting until a couple of days ago, and their work attire was an odd mix of clothing — blazers, baseball pants and Sunday dresses — some of which had been purchased from a thrift store for painting.

They sang Disney tunes as they managed to get a large part of their work done within an hour.

“This is a fun group, definitely,” said Jan Sherard, who works with the Clemson Campus Crusade organization.

Campus Crusade members always do service projects but 2009 was the first year they worked with churches on those projects.

“It’s good knowing we’re helping out a church in their mission to help this school,” said Berkeley Bagwell, a 20-year-old Clemson student.

Conaway and the school PTA picked out the color for the gym. The brightly painted room will be a surprise for the students when they return to school after the holidays, she said.

Contact Jonnelle Davis at 373-7080 or jonnelle.davis@news-record.com