We are using email service tasks instead of notifications in user tasks because we have multiple back-up personnel for each step in the process. We do not want emails generated to each back-up for every task assignment, we just need multiple people to have access to documents at every stage (we do high-volume for most of our processes, but only have one 'official designee' for each approval step).

The user task (approval) will be performed before the email task, which will then proceed to another user task for another approval.

I just realized I may not have answered your question completely- I guess we need the email service task to send a link for the next user task in the process. Or more likely a link to the 'My Tasks' page for the recipients of the email in the service task.

I'm struggling with this as we speak.  One scenario is that I want the initiator to be notified when the process is fully approved without the task being assigned, but I'd like a link so they can refer to information that they would need to process in another system.  I can attach the form, but then came across some real interesting rendering of the .pdf attachment.