Against the backdrop of advancing secularism and rampant atheism, we see churches closing on all sides, particularly in the West, where Christianity is often regarded as old hat, quaint and irrelevant. Strangely, at the same time it is evident that new churches are springing up everywhere. Terry Virgo maintains that we need visionaries, tough fighters and tenacious builders if we are going to see the Gospel succeed in our generation and build strong churches that engage with our contemporary culture and bring in the kingdom of God. Building great churches takes tenacity, endurance and Nehemiah-type leadership. Nehemiah and other biblical characters who rose above the trends of their age, proved that God is well able to revolutionise situations if we take Him seriously and respond obediently to His initiatives. By examining the lives of Jospeh, Gideon and Nehemiah Terry Virgo inspires us afresh and shows that the tide is turning against secularism and we are increasingly seeing God's great plan being fulfilled to glorify His Son in the earth.