Dear Family and Friends of First UMC of Torrance,
As we step into the month of June, we find ourselves in a season of transitions and new beginnings. It’s the time of year when caps are tossed in the air and prayers are lifted up for graduates stepping into the next chapter of life. It is also the season when clergy and lay delegates from across our conference gather for the United Methodist Church’s Annual Conference—an occasion marked by thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness in the past year, and by prayerful discernment as we plan and prepare for a new year of ministry beginning July 1st.
Both moments—the celebration of our graduates and the convening of Annual Conference—remind us that God is the One who goes before us. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
To our graduates: We celebrate you with joy and admiration! Whether you are stepping out of high school, college, or a graduate program, know that your church family is praying for you. Your journey is not just about academic achievement—it is about discovering who you are in Christ, using your gifts for good, and trusting that God’s hand is upon your life. You may not have all the answers (who does?), but if you walk in faith, God will guide you.
And to our wider church: As our denomination prepares for a new conference year, we do so with gratitude for all that God has already done through our ministries—worship, mission, learning, and fellowship. We’ve seen lives touched, communities served, and faith deepened. The Annual Conference gathering is our opportunity to give thanks, to discern together, and to commit ourselves anew to the work of Christ in our communities. Like our graduates, we as a church are also being sent forward with a blessing—called to dream new dreams, meet fresh challenges, and embrace the Spirit’s leading.
This June, may we all—graduates and the church alike—listen to God’s voice, trust in God’s guidance, and give thanks for His faithfulness. Let us bless and commission those stepping into new roles and responsibilities. Let us also reflect with gratitude on how far God has brought us, and step forward in faith, confident that God is not only behind us and beside us, but always ahead of us, preparing the way.
Grace and Peace, Pastor Jacob