Seven local churches are working together to host a Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday, March 27.

This is the second year the churches have offered the service, according to the Rev. David Grindberg, of St. Olaf Lutheran Church.

“I think it just came out of some conversations between the pastors of the seven churches,” Grindberg said. “It just emerged.”

All the participating churches are involved with Icky’s Youth Center, 125 N. 27th St., according to Grindberg.

He said the service will be held at the Fort Dodge Middle School auditorium. Pre-worship music will start at 6:15 a.m. and the service itself begins at 6:30 a.m.

“This is not in competition with other churches or other members’ church services,” Grindberg said. “It’s a service in addition to what the rest of the congregations normally do.”

The contemporary worship service will also feature ecumenical communion, as well as an offering being collected.

The money will go to Icky’s Youth Center.

“(It’s) an absolutely fabulous cause,” Grindberg said. “The youth center is making a really nice impact in the community.”

He said many children, mostly middle school-aged, frequent the youth center.

“They walk down from the middle school after school and spent two and a half to three hours there four nights a week,” he said. “It’s just a great, safe place for community youth to hang out.”

He said last year’s Sunrise Service was well-received, and he’s hoping this year that the entire middle school auditorium will be filled.

“We really do want to fill the place so that we can kick off the most important event for Christians in the right way,” Grindberg said. “The resurrection of our Lord.”

The seven participating churches are New Covenant Christian Church, First United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, First Congregational Church of Christ, First Covenant Church, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and St. Olaf Lutheran Church.