"We encourage people to come into our church, check out us, share a meal and have some fellowship," said Gail Ruhl, describing the annual chicken potpie dinner at Ruhl's Church, 4810 Elizabethtown Road, Manheim. The event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 22, and this year, it will feature "A Night With Noah" after the dinner.

The meal will be available for sit-down service or to go from 4 to 6 p.m. or until sold out, Ruhl said. The menu will include chicken potpie, green beans, coleslaw, applesauce, homemade desserts and assorted beverages. There are separate prices for adults and for children. Children age 5 and under may eat for free.

Proceeds from the dinner will be used to support upcoming mission trips. Although the destination of next summer's trip is not finalized yet, Ruhl noted that the church has a long history of supporting projects around the world. "All proceeds will be used for mission work locally, nationally or globally," she said.

This is the first time the church is combining the dinner with an event afterward. "We haven't done a dual event like this before, but we're hoping families and individuals will stick around for Noah's ark," she stated.

"A Night With Noah" will feature activities in multiple locations throughout the church, all based on the story of Noah's ark from the book of Genesis. "It's going to start off with a short, animated video about Noah's ark," said John Renninger, who is the event coordinator. "Then, we'll go into who Noah was as a person, talk about his family and so on." Additional stations will include the opportunity to measure the distance of the ark's length and width, play games and hear Bible verses related to the story of Noah.

"I have somebody who is going to be Noah, and then I have someone who will be speaking as the voice of God," Renninger noted, adding that a backdrop of Noah's ark will also be set up, along with animal face masks as a photo station.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a stuffed animal along for the event, and Renninger noted that the activities are geared for people of all ages. "Any child through grade school and middle school can do these activities and enjoy them," he remarked. "Older kids can help some of the younger children. It's going to be a good, wholesome family event with a lot of things to do. It's a way to get the whole family involved."

"A Night With Noah" will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and Renninger recommends arriving in time to start at 6 as all attendees will progress in one group through each station. "If you want to see the whole story of Noah, come at the beginning," he said.

For more information on the potpie dinner or "A Night With Noah," visit https://ruhlschurch.org or call the church at 717-665-3400.