LOOP COMMUNITY
WORSHIPPING AUTHENTICALLY W / CHELSEA PLANK, SEU WORSHIP | Matt McCoy
Chelsea Plank with SEU Worship sat down with Loop Community founder Matt McCoy to talk about leading worship authentically, leading worship with technology and SEU Worship’ s latest music.
[ Matt McCoy ] What does authenticity in worship mean to you?
[ Chelsea Plank ] Sometimes we think the most authentic worship is spontaneous. Only something that has never been heard before. And sometimes we glorify that and say it’ s authenticity. I’ m not saying that’ s not worship, it is, but how can we bind that with truth?
When I think of worship I think of how the Bible describes it: with clean hands and a pure heart. When Jesus is talking to the woman at the well saying,“ The time is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.” When I think of authentic worship, I’ m thinking with clean hands, pure heart, in spirit and in truth. Authenticity doesn’ t come from me being the most well-meaning person or from me wanting it. Who can ascend the hill of God? Christ alone. The one with clean hands and pure hearts.
So, making sure I’ m repentant, making sure that I am asking God to make me holy again every time, that I’ m asking for a reliance upon him, a hunger for him, that this wouldn’ t become something I get“ good” at.
[ Matt ] There can be so many distractions when you’ re leading worship. When I think about authentic worship, I think about what are we focusing on when we are leading? Am I thinking about the performance of the song, or am I really worshipping the Lord?
[ Chelsea ] When I first came into SEU, I’ d never heard about in-ears or tracks. We just had the stage monitors in front of us. I found that God really had to honestly shift my heart to learn to worship in those things. I wanted to demonize it right away and say this is not
of God. Like people in the 80s that wouldn’ t let drums in the church. God worked in my heart to say, this is where I have you, this is the technology I have you based in, this is the age in which you’ re worshipping in. It took me a long time to not hate those things and learn that they don’ t have to be separated in order to work.
[ Matt ] Exactly. They’ re a tool to help you lead worship better, but it can’ t be the focus or the main thing.
CLICK HERE to watch the full interview with Chelsea Plank.
You can get the Master Tracks and chord charts to lead SEU Worship’ s songs at your church on LoopCommunity. com.
Matt McCoy Matt is a worship leader, songwriter and Ableton Certified Trainer from Chicago, IL. He has been using Ableton and tracks in worship since 2002. He’ s passionate about creating new products and teaching worship leaders and artists how to use technology in live performance. www. LoopCommunity. com 34 January 2026 Subscribe for Free...