Including "Time and Talent" ?

Q. I’m working with a congregation that would like to include time and talents as well as “treasures” to the CS Response Card. I cautioned them against this but wanted to get your feedback on actual practice and experience.
A. Regarding including time and talents: We recommend NOT combining that response with a financial response on the commitment card on Consecration Sunday. Reasons:
• It tends to “water down” the importance of each commitment by combining the two together.
Both are important aspects of stewardship and best kept apart.
• It becomes a cumbersome process to do a proper job of allowing a genuine “time and talent” commitment together with a financial commitment. You need a financial card, plus a sheet or two for time or talent responses. That takes time for explanation and completion if done within the service.
• If not done properly, with a well thought through time and talent commitment, you wind up with a single card that looks something like this:
I will serve the Lord through...
_____ My regular prayers for the ministry of my church
_____ Worshiping the Lord and receiving the sacrament
_____ Participating through my time and talents
_____ Supporting the Lord’s work through my weekly offering of $______
The only thing specific on such a commitment is the financial amount, and many people see everything else as “spiritual fluff.”
Instead of combining the two, we recommend:
• A year-round program of stewardship education and commitment that includes various commitments at different times of the year. For example, Financial Commitment in October, Time and Talent in January, Prayer Commitment in Lent, Care of Creation in June, etc.
• Another possibility (one we are working on for CS Year 3) is to have a Ministry Fair on the Sunday before Consecration Sunday. At that Ministry Fair, the various groups in the congregation (or community) set up a display of their ministry and a sheet is distributed as people visit the Fair to enable them to volunteer for service in particular ministries. This separates the financial commitment from the time and talent commitment with two separate events.
• The best way is to have a time and talent emphasis tied in with a gift identification Bible study program at a time separate from the financial commitment.