A Mission Study is the process that a congregation goes through to seek discernment about how God would have that church to be and to act in the future. It is led by a committee of the Session, called the Mission Study Team (MST). 

A mission study in a Presbyterian church is unique because it is a structured, prayerful, and collaborative process that seeks to  discern God’s calling for a particular congregation.
Here are some key aspects that make it distinctive:

• Connectional & Discernment-Based – Presbyterians emphasize communal discernment through prayer, study, and discussion, ensuring the mission study aligns with God’s will and the church’s theological foundation.
• Governance & Process-Oriented – The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) follows a defined process where a mission study is often required before calling a new pastor. The Session (church leadership) works with the presbytery (regional governing body) to ensure a mission study is thorough and meets denominational guidelines.
• Historical & Contextual Focus – A mission study evaluates the congregation’s history, current ministry strengths, and challenges while considering community demographics and needs. This helps shape the church’s future direction.
• Broad Congregational Involvement – Unlike mission statements crafted solely by leadership, a Presbyterian mission study actively involves the congregation through surveys, listening sessions, and discussions to ensure collective buy-in.
• Theological Reflection & Reformed Identity – Rooted in the Reformed tradition, a mission study helps churches assess how their mission aligns with biblical principles, Presbyterian theology, and the call to serve Christ in the world.
• Strategic & Forward-Looking – The study isn’t just about reflecting on the past but developing a vision and strategic plan for the future, including goals for worship, outreach, discipleship, and leadership development.
• Presbytery Oversight – In many cases, the mission study must be approved by the presbytery before moving forward with pastoral searches or major initiatives, ensuring accountability and alignment with broader church mission priorities.

A well-founded Mission Study includes fact-finding about the congregation and the community in which it ministers. It provides an opportunity for members of the congregation prayerfully to study what scripture says about the church, to learn new information about its community and its needs, to learn who they have been and who they are as a congregation, and to celebrate their gifts as a church. Once this period of learning is complete, then the congregation has the information it needs to begin to design its Vision and develop new Goals and Objectives for its ministry. The Mission Study Report will describe the process followed for the study, provide all the information discovered during the process about both the community and the church, and present the new Vision, along with Goals and Objectives for living out the Vision. Once a congregation knows itself, knows where it wants to go, and has made a serious effort to understand where God wants it to go, it is ready to ask itself what kind of pastor is needed to help make the Vision reality and start a search for that pastor.