Last-Minute Change Playbook: How to Use SMS for Cancelations and Weather Updates

It's 6am Sunday. Ice on the roads. Services are canceled.

You have maybe 45 minutes before people start getting ready and driving to church. How do you reach them?

Text is the only channel fast enough.

Here's the playbook for when plans change at the last minute.

The Decision Protocol

Before you can communicate, someone has to decide.

Who decides:

Usually the senior pastor or executive pastor. Sometimes an emergency response team for larger churches.

When to decide:

As early as possible. For morning services, this might mean 5-6am. People are planning their morning. Earlier is better.

Factors to consider:

• Road conditions (check local reports)
• Parking lot status (is it plowed/salted?)
• Staff safety (can worship leaders get there?)
• Liability (will you feel responsible if someone crashes?)

At some point, you make the call. An early cancelation is better than a dangerous commute.

The Priority Order

Not everyone finds out at once. That's intentional.

They might already be heading in. Send them a text immediately after the decision is made.

Staff—Sunday services are canceled due to icy roads. Do not come in. Will follow up shortly.

This group needs to know before they get in their cars.

Musicians, tech crew, greeters, anyone essential to the service. They're often up early preparing.

Worship team—Sunday services are canceled. Roads are unsafe. Stay home and stay safe!

Once internal teams are notified, send the public message.

Sunday services are canceled due to weather. Stay safe! Updates at firstchurch.org

Wait 10-15 minutes between tiers. This gives leadership a moment to process before the broader message goes out.

The Message Format

Keep it short. This isn't the time for paragraphs.

Cancelation:

Sunday services are canceled due to [reason]. Stay safe! Updates: [link]

Delay:

Sunday services delayed—now starting at 11am. Watch [website/social] for updates.

All-clear:

Roads have improved—services are ON as scheduled. See you at [time]!

Each message should include:

• What's happening (canceled, delayed, on as scheduled)
• Why (brief—one or two words)
• Where to get more information

After the Text

The text gets people informed fast. Then you reinforce on other channels.

Social media:

Post the cancelation within minutes of the text. Some people check social before text.

Website:

Update your homepage or add a banner. People who missed the text might check the website.

Email:

Send a follow-up email for those who missed everything. This can go out an hour later with more detail.

The next day:

If you canceled Sunday, send a brief email Monday. Include any online service option, a pastoral note, and a "see you next week" message.

Templates to Have Ready

Don't write these under pressure. Write them now, save them in a note on your phone, and have them ready.

Weather cancelation:

Sunday services are canceled due to weather. Roads are unsafe. Stay home and stay safe. Updates at [link].

Weather delay:

Sunday services delayed due to weather. Service will begin at [time]. Watch [social/website] for updates.

All-clear:

Services are ON as scheduled. Roads have improved. See you at [time]!

Power/building issue:

Sunday services are canceled due to a power outage at the building. Updates at [link].

General emergency:

[Specific issue]. Sunday services are canceled. We'll share more information soon.

Customize the bracketed parts. Everything else is plug-and-play.

Who Sends What

Assign this in advance. On a chaotic morning, you don't want confusion about who's doing what.

Backups should be assigned. What if the admin is snowed in with no power?

Testing Your System

Before you need it, test it.

Speed test:

How fast can you send a text to your whole congregation? If your SMS system takes 30 minutes to process, you might miss your window.

Access test:

Can you send from your phone, or do you need a laptop? What if you don't have WiFi?

Contact list test:

Is your text list up to date? Are key leaders' numbers current?

Run a test at least once a year. Some churches do this with a "Happy New Year" text on January 1—harmless, but confirms the system works.

The Monday Debrief

After any cancelation, review:

• How fast did we make the decision?
• How fast did communication go out?
• Did anyone show up anyway? (That means they missed the message.)
• What would we do differently?

Document what worked and what didn't. Next time, you'll be faster.

The Annual Prep

Every fall (before winter weather hits), do a quick check:

• [ ] Cancelation templates saved and accessible
• [ ] Text list includes staff, volunteers, and congregation
• [ ] Decision-maker and backup identified
• [ ] Social media and website update process clear
• [ ] Test message sent to confirm system works

15 minutes of prep now saves chaos later.