Eagle Scout’s service project is on the wall

A fiery sun burns over mountains that look like they’re made of stained glass. The starry galaxy glows, and a calligraphy inscription reads: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

Thanks to 17-year-old Scott Coffey’s Eagle Scout project, a drab hallway in the children’s wing of Northview Bible Church recently received a stunning makeover.

Coffey, who attends the church with his family, said, “I’d been through the hallway at various times – it was pretty boring.”

He approached Sue Logsdon, Northview’s children’s ministries director, about ideas for doing something artistic in the church.

And the idea for the mural was born.

The goal of an Eagle Scout service project is for the Scout to organize and lead community members in a task that will benefit others. Coffey pondered how best to use his artistic talent in a group venture and came up with the paint-by-number design.

“I wanted to get as many people to help as I could. I recruited volunteers out of my Scout troop and friends from Mead High School. The church donated the paint,” Coffey said.

But before the volunteers could begin painting, Coffey had some work to do. He projected the design on the wall and sketched it out in pencil. Then he went over the drawing with a Sharpie. Finally, he selected a color-scheme and carefully labeled each section of the landscape with a number corresponding to a color.

And he used a lot of colors – 26 in all. Because the mural is in the children’s area of the church, Coffey wanted to make it bright and engaging.

By the first week of winter break he was ready for his crew to start painting. His only instructions: “Make sure you stay in the lines and cover up the numbers.”

Two hundred and thirty five volunteer hours later, the project was complete. He watched the children file into church on a Sunday morning. “The reaction of the kids was really cool,” Coffey said. “They were excited, but it almost seemed like the parents were more excited.”

In addition to Scouting and art, Coffey enjoys drama and fencing and is part of Mead’s Knowledge Bowl team. The high school senior hasn’t yet selected a college, but he already knows what his major will be. “Art,” he said, and grinned.

Kids and parents aren’t the only ones delighted with Coffey’s Eagle Scout Project. Logsdon called the mural magnificent. “You can hear an audible ‘ahh’ when people see it,” she said. “It adds life to the hallway.”