How the spiritual landscape of Southeastern University shifted from one album over one year…
Heart Cry, the fourth studio album by SEU Worship, defines a singular year of worship and solidifies a campus identity centered on Christ.
SEU Worship is the worship movement of Southeastern University. Since 2013, SEU Worship has been leading worship on campus and has recently gained more popularity around the United States by performing at multiple summer camps nationwide and at this year’s Winter Jam. SEU Worship’s expressions of faith incorporate contemporary rap, electronic dance music (EDM), and modern indie sounds. These shape a worship experience by and for college students (and beyond).
Back to the Basics
One of the lead creative minds behind Heart Cry is SEU Worship director Chelsea Plank. Chelsea joined SEU Worship in 2017 as an undergraduate student. After graduating from SEU in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication, Chelsea became involved in the creative production and spiritual leadership of the Heart Cry album, which was released in the fall of 2022. She also earned her Master’s Degree in Human Services from SEU in 2023.
Heart Cry was a product of the desire to go back to the basics—a genuine cry for pure worship not purely focused on performance, but rather on going back to the necessity of God’s eternal love. These are songs that explore the journey of finding and spreading faith. Songs on the album reflect this through the titles and messaging behind them. Songs like “Pour It Out” are about seeking God and being satisfied with just being in his presence. Others, like “Tell All My Friends” focus on encouraging us to rejoice in the Lord and share the Gospel with friends and family.
Monday Morning Faith
On Heart Cry, the songs went through the creative writing process and countless hours toward creating the final version. One of the most-streamed songs on the album, “Monday Morning Faith,” is sung by Chelsea. The song is an uplifting anthem about having a relationship with God each day. “‘Monday Morning Faith’ began with a student writing session in Bush Chapel around a piano,” Chelsea shared.
“Heart Cry is a very special album,” Chelsea said. “It was one where we worked with local churches in the Lakeland community for songwriting ideas and creative direction. These interactions helped put language to something that people cannot easily put language to, and showed what God can express to His people through our lyrics.”
The impact of an album like Heart Cry has been evident in several of our evening campus chapel services, which have extended beyond the typical 9:00 end time as students enthusiastically expressed their interest in praying for people, and baptisms, to become regular practices. Chelsea added, “The title of the album has encouraged us to reflect on the posture of our hearts, and has helped our campus to be united with God’s will.”
One year later, the album has been featured on multiple playlists on all streaming platforms, and the acoustic album for Heart Cry was released this past September.
Since then, SEU Worship has put together a new live album. It was recorded in November of 2023 and is set to release later this year.
“There’s not a cap on what we can do with SEU Worship,” Chelsea said. “And with Heart Cry, we were able to encapsulate everything students have been feeling and praying for in their own lives and the lives of their fellow students.”
By David Jarrett, Student Writer
