The Little Boy And His New Coat

Table of Contents

✝️ Report on the Children’s Meeting at Carryduff Primary School

Wednesday 18th February 2026 – “The Little Boy and His New Coat”
(Fourth meeting in the series celebrating 50 Years of the Killynure Road Children’s Meetings)

🙏 Opening of the Meeting

Although the evening air was icy, the welcome inside Carryduff Primary School Assembly Hall was warm and cheerful as friends and families gathered once again to rejoice in the Lord’s goodness over five decades of children’s gospel work.

The service began with Mr. Wilfie Crawford, long‑time superintendent of the Killynure Sunday School, leading the opening hymn — “There Will Never Be a Sweeter Story.” Its tender words about the Saviour’s love set a beautiful tone for the evening:

“Love that brought Him from the realms of glory,
Just to save a sinful soul like mine.”

Mr. Crawford then led the congregation in prayer, thanking God for salvation through Christ, for those who teach and serve in the Sunday School, and for the boys and girls who have heard the gospel through the years. He prayed especially that if any child present did not yet know the Lord Jesus as Saviour, that night would be their night of salvation.

🎶 Choruses of Praise

Following the opening, Rev. David McLaughlin guided the programme, inviting everyone to join joyfully in singing familiar children’s choruses accompanied by actions and plenty of laughter.

“Deep and Wide” – complete with lively hand movements reminding everyone of the fountain of grace that flows freely from Christ.
“My Cup’s Full and Running Over” – based on Psalm 23:5, reminding the children that when they trust in the Lord, their lives overflow with His blessings.

The singing lifted spirits and filled the cold hall with warmth and joy.

📖 Memory Verse – 2 Timothy 3:15

Mrs. Doris Patton then took the children through the evening’s memory verse:

“And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.”
(2 Timothy 3:15)

She explained that these words were written by the Apostle Paul to the young preacher Timothy, reminding him that even as a little boy he had been taught God’s Word by his faithful mother Eunice and grandmother Lois. Doris gently told the children that Timothy first learned the Scriptures at home — in much the same way they were learning verses each evening — and that God used that early knowledge to lead him to the Saviour.

“You never know when the Lord will use a verse you’ve learned,” she said.
“So treasure His Word in your heart, because it will make you wise unto salvation.”

After several joyful recitations — first by the adults, then by the children — everyone could say the verse confidently.

💬 Testimony – Mrs. Lynette Seaton

Rev. McLaughlin next welcomed Mrs. Lynette Seaton, affectionately known as “Auntie Lynette,” a former Sunday School teacher from Killynure, now living in Dromara. She brought a warm, heartfelt testimony that deeply touched both young and old.

Lynette shared how she was born in Vancouver, Canada, but raised just a few miles from Carryduff, between the town and Drumbo. Having grown up in a Christian home, she heard the gospel from her earliest years, attended Sunday School, and knew she needed to be saved. Yet it was not until the age of sixteen, while attending Faith Mission Bible Camp during the days of the Troubles, that she came under deep conviction of sin.

Fearing what might happen if her life were suddenly taken — she recalled the bombings in Belfast — she decided she could not return to the city unsaved. That night, as she sat by the campfire and prayed with her counsellor, the verse John 3:16 came powerfully to her mind:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

She realised that God loved her personally and that the Lord Jesus had died for her sins. There and then, Lynette trusted Him as her Saviour — on 25 August 1972 — and has walked with the Lord ever since.

After moving to Carryduff in 1978, Lynette became involved in the Killynure Road Children’s Meetings and Sunday School work for many years. She shared moving stories of how the Word of God sowed long‑lasting fruit: children she once transported or taught later came to Christ, and some are now serving the Lord and bringing up their own children in Christian homes.

She concluded cheerfully:

“The God we told the children about nearly fifty years ago is still the same God today. His Word never changes, and it’s still true in 2026!”

Her testimony was both nostalgic and inspiring — a clear reminder of the generational power of faithful gospel work among children.

⛪ The Third Killynure Schoolhouse Item

Before introducing the children’s evangelist, Rev. McLaughlin revealed the third historical memento in the ongoing 50‑year display:

🪨 A stone taken from the original Killynure Schoolhouse building before its demolition.

It now joined the earlier two artefacts — the slate portrait and the old handbell — in the collection. The minister reminded the children that anyone who could name all four items by Thursday evening would receive a special prize!

📖 Message – “The Little Boy and His New Coat”

Speaker: Children’s Evangelist Robert McConnell

Evangelist Robert McConnell then took the platform, beginning with his trademark humour and energy that had both children and adults leaning forward eagerly. He joked about it being “freezing outside but only slightly less freezing in here,” and praised the children for their commitment in coming back after a full day at school — a playful contrast with the adults, who he said wouldn’t dream of going back to work after dinner!

But when he opened the Bible, the tone shifted to one of reverent teaching and lively illustration. His theme was “The Little Boy and His New Coat.” From this he traced two great Bible stories — Joseph and Samuel — showing how coats in Scripture teach lessons about the Lord Jesus Christ.

👕 Coats in the Bible

Mr. McConnell began by pointing out how many coats appear in the Bible. He showed slides of Adam and Eve’s animal skins, Joseph’s coat of many colours, and even the scene where Saul held the coats of those who stoned Stephen. Each, he explained, holds spiritual meaning.

He then focused for a few minutes on Joseph, showing that his life revolved around four symbolic coats:

The Coat of Sacrifice – the coat of many colours, torn and soaked in blood, reminding us of the suffering and sacrifice of Christ.
The Servant’s Coat – left behind in Potiphar’s house, a picture of Christ’s humility and sinless purity.
The Prison Coat (Coat of the Sepulchre) – laid aside when Joseph was set free, representing Christ’s burial and resurrection from the tomb.
The Royal Coat (Coat of Sovereignty) – given to Joseph by Pharaoh, symbolising Christ exalted to His throne in heaven.

“Every coat Joseph wore,” the preacher said, “tells us something about the Lord Jesus — His suffering, His service, His death and resurrection, and His eternal glory.”

🧥 Samuel’s Little Coat – A Picture of Salvation

After warming everyone’s hearts with Joseph’s story, the evangelist turned to the main text — 1 Samuel 2:19:

“Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year.”

This, he said, was the story of young Samuel and his mother Hannah, who every year lovingly stitched and carried a new coat to her son in God’s house. “That little coat,” Mr. McConnell declared, “is one of the sweetest pictures of God’s great salvation!”

He unfolded three main truths:

A Coat of Love – Hannah’s handiwork showed deep affection for her son. Every stitch spoke of love and prayer. In the same way, salvation was born out of divine love — the love of God shown fully in Jesus Christ. “Just as Hannah thought about Samuel every day as she sewed his coat,” he said, “so God has you on His heart. Long before you were born, He loved you.”
A Coat of Labour – It was not store‑bought; it was made by hand with care and effort. So too, our salvation was not cheap or automatic — it was the result of Christ’s finished work on the cross. “He worked for it — sweating drops of blood, suffering on our behalf. Salvation is free to you, but costly to Him.”
A Coat That Lasted – The verse says Hannah brought a new one “from year to year.” Each year she came again with another gift of love — always providing, never forgetting. In the same way, salvation in Christ is everlasting, eternal, unbreakable. “When God wraps you in His robe of righteousness,” Mr. McConnell said, “He never takes it off again. It lasts forever.”

The evangelist closed by urging both young and old to receive God’s gift for themselves:

“Samuel’s coat was only for him, but the robe of salvation is for everyone. The Lord Jesus is ready to wrap His righteousness around you tonight if you’ll simply come to Him.”

It was a clear, heartfelt message, simple enough for a child to grasp, yet rich enough to stir every adult soul.

🤲 Closing Hymn and Prayer

The meeting concluded with the congregation singing “Come Every Soul by Sin Oppressed” — the old invitation hymn reminding all that “there’s mercy with the Lord.”

Rev. Fred Greenfield, a long‑standing friend of the work, closed in prayer. He gave thanks for the faithful gospel witness in Carryduff through many years, for the Scripture learned, the song sung, and the testimonies shared. He prayed that the Lord would take the Word home to every heart and continue to bless the remaining meetings of the week.

The meeting ended with hearty thanks to all who took part and with Rev. McLaughlin reminding everyone to return on Thursday 19th February for the final evening at Carryduff Primary, themed “The Little Ships.”

🌟 Summary

The Wednesday night meeting of the 50th Anniversary series was rich in warmth, memory, and gospel truth. From Doris’s gentle teaching of Scripture, to Mrs. Seaton’s moving testimony, to Evangelist McConnell’s vivid Bible message, every part pointed to one central truth — that Christ offers every soul a robe of righteousness woven in love, purchased at Calvary, and lasting for eternity.