In the face of fears of escalating youth violence and substance abuse, the Bishop of the New Testament Church of God has an emphatic message of hope for Bermuda and her teenagers.

"Operation Youth Explosion is about to impact Bermuda and this Island will never be the same," said Bishop Goodwin C. Smith, speaking of last night's dynamic youth programme which combined the word of God with modern vocal stylings and hip-hop dancing.

A free event which was spearheaded by Bishop Smith and Dr. Cindy Trimm, the director of the Embassy Worship Centre, Operation Youth Explosion was hosted by the New Testament Church of God on Dundonald Street in Hamilton. The event drew on the artistry of professional Christian entertainers who flew down from the US and joined up with local choirs and dramatists reaching out to Bermuda's youth.

"I firmly believe that we have reached a time when we must work together as churches, as government and as a society to ensure our youth are brought up in the 'fear and admonition of the Lord'," said Bishop Smith.

"This programme is designed to give the youth a positive alternative to drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, school drop-out and even death."

And this 'explosion' of sacred music succeeded in doing just that. Taking on teen-related issues, the young dancers and rappers used a hard-hitting hip-hop style to reach Bermuda's teenagers on subjects which traditional religious programmes too often don't focus on. According to Bishop Spencer, another major aim of the programme to educate and enlighten youth while forcing them to ask tough questions about their own lives and their faith.

In an announcement for the programme, Bishop Smith quoted grim figures from the US which painted a dark picture of the world our youth now face. With over 42 percent of the 8th, 11th and 13th graders using illicit drugs in the US, and a very similar figure amongst Bermuda's high school students, Bishop Smith said that his church felt it was urgent to do something for the Island's youth.

"In fact, the church organised a round table discussion with Government and various youth agencies across the Island to assess needs and solutions." said Bishop Smith .

The solution that this dedicated group agreed upon certainly fit the very delicate balance of being attractive to youth while also presenting them with a very positive and faith based message.

Presenting only a sample of the talent which was represented at last night's event, the press were treated to a sneak peak on Thursday morning of the modern dancing and vocalising of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida group 'Diplo' .

Dancing to a modern, Caribbean-style song that at first could have been mistaken for a Billboard top 20 hit, dancers Pam Dandridge and Ordainde (his stage name) did not dress very differently from most teenagers today. But they danced with unmistakable joy to a song with the message: "Jesus is the truth, the way and the light."

Next Folashade Green and a young performer named J-Chord, rapped a message which is sure to hit home with Bermudian youth who are very fortunate compared to the rest of the world. Both musicians sought to remind blessed Christians in wealthy countries like the US and Bermuda of the sufferings of those who are living in Africa, where AIDS and hunger are real life issues and not items on the news.

Commenting on this programme, Dr. Trimm summed up the spirit of this mission to reach Bermuda's youth:

"We believe the time for this explosion is now. We recognise that Bermuda's youth needs alternatives and we want to move with the orchestrated and syncopated move of God to see His purpose and plans realised for our beloved Island - Bermuda!"