SPRINGFIELD TWP, Mercer County — The Walt Disney Company's movie will probably make more money, but that hasn't stopped members of Leesburg Presbyterian Church from pushing forward with their stage production of C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

The show, scheduled for six performances beginning this weekend, is part of the church's Leesburg Lighthouse ministry, which raises money for missions through two dinner theater productions each year.

For $14, attendees get a full-course meal, complete with appetizers and dessert, and a seat for the stage show in the church's sanctuary.

"We tackle challenging productions. We do it as professionally as we can with amateur people," said director John Stewart. "We actually have theater lights, sound, spotlight."

The cast and crew work on the show every Sunday afternoon for two months. Much of the time is dedicated to staging and learning lines, which is sometimes difficult, especially when a show like the current production uses a lot of children as actors. About 10 children are in the cast, the youngest of which are 5 years old.

"Once they know their parts and where they need to go, they do pretty good," said Jim Schepp, who has been involved with the productions for about 14 years. Schepp builds a lot of the sets and is also playing Mr. Beaver in the current show.

"By the time we get all the kitchen work in, it's an intergenerational thing," said Charlotte Yeager, who has helped with the program since its inception.

In addition to a cast and crew of about 30, about 40 other church members will help prepare the meal. The youth of the church act as servers.

"We find an area where they feel comfortable. Once you get involved, it gets in your blood," said Dotty Lewis, co-director. "It pulls our people together, and we also feel it's a good ministry for the community."

One thing that unites the cast, she said, is that the production is underscored with prayer. The group holds a time of prayer before each practice. Then after the final performance, the group holds a cast party, during which they focus on what they have gained and learned from the experience."We focus on how people grow," Lewis said.The kitchen staff also has a special time of prayer before serving each dinner.The ministry aspect of the program plays out on multiple levels, Stewart said."We try to give a non-threatening message. People can see the point when they see the drama," he said. "There seems to be a need out there for good entertainment and a good meal."He also said the money made from the shows, minus the cost of expenses, is given to missionaries and local missions, such as the Grace Food Pantry in Grove City."That somewhat brings the people back, because they know we're not doing it to run the church," said Yeager.The biannual shows, one in the spring and one in the fall, began as a musical program. When the church decided to add dinner, originally just soup and salad, and drama for a one-night performance, they just hoped enough people would show up to make it worth the effort.The program was a success and continued to grow with each new show."It's just ballooned from there," Yeager said.In all, the church has put on more than 20 shows, including "The Robe," "A Man Called Peter" and "The Magician's Nephew," another tale from Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia." This fall's production is the second outing of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" on the Leesburg stage.Performances are scheduled for tonight and tomorrow and Nov. 18 and 19. Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $14 for adults, $6.50 for children ages 5 to 10 and $3.50 for children ages four and under. For ticket information call 724-748-4800 or 724-7480-4040.