EDIT: Duh- I didn't notice this was a Pathfinder thread...I may still be suffering from Touch of Idiocy.
When doing a melee touch attack, you use Str as your modifying stat. When you're doing a ranged touch attack, you use Dex.
For 1st level Clerics...
1) I like Reach Spell. You'll be able to use your buffs- Healing spells included- at range. Make sure you have some kind of good Dex bonus to ensure you hit your intended target, though. It won't have much use for a 1st level Cleric, but by the time you're 3rd level, you may find yourself using it a LOT.
2) with any kind of elemental spells (esp. Fire), I like Elemental Substitution.
3) depending upon the campaign, Extra Turning may be invaluable.
4) with a warrior feel, any typical fighter feat they qualify for will be useful. Sword & Board types benefit from Imp. Shield Bash and 2wf, for instance. A Cleric with a nice weapon from the War domain might want WeapFocus or Power attack.
5) Some of the Reserve feats work well. For instance, if you intend to be a summoning specialist of some kind, several of those feats provide bonuses to the creatures you summon. Not all of them are open to low-level PCs, though.