CHURCHES need to make a difference in the lives of communities.

This sums up Sowetan's interview with Reverend Frank Chikane of the Apostolic Faith Mission.

Meeting him at his church in Naledi in Soweto, Chikane had his hands full having just launched his book, Eight Days in September, and preparing for the weekend.

He said many people regarded the Easter weekend as a holiday rather than a religious celebration.

"In terms of the Christian church Easter is the wrong word to use because Easter is about a tradition that is unrelated to the Christian faith," Chikane said. "Even Good Friday has nothing to do with the Christian faith. These things were related to other gods in history or some tradition."

"In the biblical sense, it is a Passover, the Jewish celebration that was related to their leaving Egypt.

"It is not a celebration but a commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ and what he died for - how that liberates us and sets us free from the power of evil."

He defined sin as "that which makes you do what you would not want to do".

He said: 'No adult wants to be caught with somebody's wife."

Chikane then criticised the UN, saying its Security Council was based on power.

"Those who have power can have a veto and go and do an injustice and no one takes them to the criminal court. For me, the world is under a force that makes them do the things they know are unacceptable.

"The measurement of justice for me is the common good. If it is not good for me it is not good for you either.

"The Passover reminds you about a sacrificial act, that somebody died for others so that people should be liberated," he said.

"For me the measurement of justice is when you are ready to do things for others. When somebody is given money to build a bridge for people and the bridge is not there, then you know we are worse off than ever before."

Chikane said there was meaning in the gathering of Christians at different venues during the Passover.

"The theme this year is redeeming the times. We say this is what the Lord Jesus said. Are we in the right place? Are we disciples of the Lord Jesus, behaving the way they are expected to behave?".

Chikane's church will have a variety of activities including sermons, ordination of pastors and holy communion.

He said most of the challenges found in churches are caused by the fact that Christians lose their compass.

"We need to ask, does this church have an impact on people in the street or have they discounted us? Do we make a difference in the community?".

He said his church will launch the Church in Community programme, which will see congregants visiting homes to profile each family and bring services from government departments to them.

"Nobody should go to bed hungry. If they are, the system is failing," he said.

"The church is a ready-made army that should make a difference. It is not about yourself only. Yes, you must benefit, but once you have recharged, make a difference in society," he said.