You're invited to Narnia when Ruhl's Church hosts a free dinner and family movie night. The church, located at 4810 Elizabethtown Road, Manheim, will show "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," preceded by a pizza dinner, on Saturday, March 26. Dinner will be served from 4 to 5 p.m., and the movie will start at 5 p.m. The movie is rated PG and is recommended for people age 8 and up. Videos for younger children will be shown in an adjacent room during the film. Make-your-own ice cream sundaes will be available, along with popcorn, and there will be a drawing for a door prize.

Ruhl's Church held its first meal-and-movie night in January, said pastor Blaine Wenger. "We also did one in February, and it was very well attended," he stated. "That got us thinking, 'Here is a need we can try to fill. This is something we can do for the community.'"

The idea for the movie night came about after volunteer Kris Gray spoke with church members. "I had a couple of meetings with young families at church and I asked them, 'What would you find fun? What would you like to do?' They wanted to do a movie night," she said. The committee added the meal to make it a complete night out for families. "All of the food we serve is kid-friendly," Gray noted.

People are invited to bring chairs or blankets and settle in for a fun night, said event volunteer Barb Dunmire. "Last time, a lot of kids brought sleeping bags and pillows and beanbag chairs," she said. "A lot of kids showed up in pajamas, too."

Wenger emphasized that the church hopes to make the meal-and-movie night a regular event. "We're planning on doing it on the fourth Saturday of the month," he stated. "It's something families can count on for fun and a budget-friendly option for entertainment. We're taking care of the cost, because we want families to be able to come out and enjoy an evening together. It's a casual, low-pressure night out."

Dunmire noted that last month's movie night drew people from as far away as Hershey, further underscoring the need for something like this in the community.

"We believe part of our mandate as a church is to serve," she said. "We do that throughout the year, serving families with food and clothing, but it's not just about the basics like that. Those are very important, of course, but this is a way we can connect with families emotionally and build relationships with them."

Upcoming meal-and-movie nights will be held on Saturday, April 23, and Saturday, May 28. More details on the events will be released closer to the dates.

For weather-related cancellations or more information on the meal-and-movie night, visit https://ruhlschurch.org.