In writing about the duty of the Church to evangelize and work towards its own growth, Dr. Robert L. Reymond, in his masterful Theological work, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (pg. 881), says,

“… when the church contemplates its growth, either quantitatively or qualitatively, it cannot afford to ignore its responsibility to its own children”. 

In this same section he quotes Dr. Robert S. Rayburn:

“it is God’s will and declared purpose that his saving grace run in the lines of generations” 

and again

“Currently the church not only suffers a terrible shortage of such other-worldly and resolute Christians, superbly prepared for spiritual warfare, but, in fact, is hemorrhaging its children into the world.  Christian evangelism will never make a decisive difference in our culture when it amounts merely to an effort to replace losses due to widespread desertion from our own camp.  The gospel will always fail to command attention and carry conviction when large numbers of those who grow up under its influence are observed abandoning it for the world.”

Recognizing this truth and recovering God’s main plan for imparting His saving grace through generational lines will make parents…

“…ever conscious of the greater effect of parental example, (and thus) they will forsake the easy way, shamelessly and joyfull to live a life of devotion and obedience which adorns and ennobles the faith in the eyes of their children.  This they will do, who embrace the Bible’s doctrine, lest the Lord on the Great Day should say to them: ‘You took your sons and daughters whom you bore to Me and sacrificed them to idols.’”