The sun won't be the only thing rising early Sunday.

A number of area churches will celebrate Easter with sunrise services Sunday morning.

Sunrise services are scheduled for 6 a.m. Easter Sunday at Lick Creek Independent Baptist Church, Linnville United Baptist Church, Lucinda United Baptist Church, McKinley Chapel, Plymouth Heights Church of the Nazarene and Royersville Missionary Baptist Church.

The annual joint sunrise service for Burlington churches will be at 6:30 a.m. at Burlington First Baptist Church.

Burlington First Baptist pastor, Dr. Douglas Carter, said the seven churches in the community began their joint sunrise service 15 years or so years. Carter said although it may be early, the sunrise service is a not-to-be-missed celebration of the holiest time of the Christian calendar.

"It's a celebration of the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ," Carter said. "Getting up early to be in church is no sacrifice at all, compared to what he did for us."

"This is a beautiful time of the year and we know that one day, we who are believers in Jesus Christ will also be resurrected to be with Christ."

Other services slated for 6:30 a.m. are Decatur Missionary Baptist Church, First Baptist Church of Ironton, Freedom Baptist Church, Decatur Missionary Baptist Church, Quinn Chapel AME

Church, Woodland Chapel, Zoar Baptist Church and Oakland Chapel.

Sunrise services are scheduled for 7 a.m. Sunday at the Ironton City Mission, Leatherwood Missionary Baptist Church and Myrtle Ridge Missionary Baptist Church.

First United Methodist Church will its Easter sunrise service at 7:30 a.m.