Ephesians 4:9-11 describes how Christ gave "the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." The body of Christ in the local church will focus on five major categories of ministry: worship, service, evangelism/missions, fellowship, and teaching.
Worship refers to the experience of God through mediums such as prayer, music, and meditation. An important part of both American youth and American Chinese culture, the emphasis needs to be on the entire experience of worship, not just the acts. Involving as many of the senses as possible and significantly participatory, youth are ready to worship through a variety of methods, both traditional (using things such as silence, meditation, or candles) and contemporary (such as powerpoint, videos, or electric guitars). "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." - Matthew 22:37
Service is the practical work done for other people. This can be done with the people we interact with on a daily basis, in a church ministry, or to our local, national, or global community. The opportunities are endless, but a heart of service is what we desire to grow. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." - Matthew 22:39
Evangelism/missions is the first step in making disciples of people, both within our circle of influence and cross-culturally. American born Chinese generally need to grow in understanding how to make their Christian witness more apparent in their lives. Many youth still need to be challenged to reach out to others on a regular basis and to stand up for their faith in schools and in homes. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" - Matthew 28:19a
Fellowship is the sharing of a community both in large group settings and in smaller, intimate groups. Many youth lack authentic relationships in their lives and they are searching for that connection that the Church should be ready to offer. A youth group can do many types of activities that give opportunity for growing people closer to each other, such as events "just for fun", challenge or teamwork activties, sharing food together, or spending time in small groups for talking and sharing. "Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" - Matthew 28:19b (baptized into the Church and body of Christ)
Teaching, or Christian education, is always founded on the written Word of God. This takes place through sermons, Sunday schools, and Bible studies, but also through other interactive teaching experiences. It is essential for youth to learn how to read and interpret Scripture faithfully, while seeing how to apply the truths in God's Word to their lives. "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." - Matthew 28:20
Of course in each immigrant Chinese church there will be strengths and weaknesses in these different areas. It is important for ministry workers to be in constant evaluation in order to grow. An example of a youth ministry handbook for the Chinese Christian Church of New Jersey (June 2007) can be found here.